As Princess Diana fades into history, Elizabeth endures

National Post, 7 September 2017

The 20th anniversary of Diana's death marked an attempt to put some fresh paint on the fading memories, but the whole enterprise was rather half-hearted

Ten years ago, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, I wrote here that Charles and Diana in marriage and divorce had lived a life of self-indulgence rather than self-sacrifice. The “War of the Waleses” that preceded her death was an appalling display by parents, to say nothing of a prince, heir to the throne, and a future queen.

In those early days of September 1997, it was the self-indulgent who seemed to rule the day, while the self-sacrificing were thought out-of-step. The conduct of the Queen was so roundly criticized that it seemed the monarchy itself was in peril.

Yet on the 10th anniversary, after the madness of those days was long left behind, a different view had already emerged.